Hello, I am back! There was no way I was going to let International Women’s Day go by without having my two pennies worth, so here we are. I’m not going to lie, I have had to take some vital time out from the world of social media and blogging because my brain had a little blip but that’s okay, life goes on.
I was thinking of trialling a different kind of format for this post to spice things up a bit and mainly because I just feel like it. Each time women’s day comes round there is a massive surge of female empowerment, strength, and love and it fills me with joy. This is great for encouraging areas of the world that are still lacking in gender equality because we bring that message of importance to light on this special day each year. However, one day is minute in the grand scheme of things, why can’t we celebrate all genders every day? My aim with this blog post is to do exactly that.
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women’s Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first March 8 IWD gathering supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom’s Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women equality. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organisation specific. Make IWD your day! – everyday! [source]
So, what does International Women’s Day mean to me?
Like feminism, to me, International Women’s day is about striving towards equality for all genders. Yes, this is primarily a day for women but it is definitely not about shunning and hating on men but encouraging a wider awareness of the inequality that still exists across the globe. Some of us may see areas of unbalance in our daily lives, whereas others believe we are all on an equal footing. I understand that this is a highly controversial topic and there are always going to be opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to individual opinions. That is what makes days like these so important; we can learn from the experiences women face around the world and we can educate one another on the differences reflected among our cultures, religions, races, sexualities and classes.
What can you do to make a difference?
- The most obvious answer to this question is start talking about it. The only way to grab people’s attention is to get that message across that you want to make a difference and strike up a conversation, highlighting it’s importance. Spread the word on social media, go to talks and engage with others who feel the same way, there may be societies at your university or local community groups who meet regularly to discuss pressing topics.
- Donate to charities that help vulnerable women and families. There are many things that we take for granted that other women could only dream of having. There is always a need for items to be donated at food banks, find your local one here. Not forgetting sanitary items, yes homeless women often do not have the products we can readily buy in any shop – you can donate them here.
- Celebrate the women in your life by hosting a get-together and discuss experiences as women from past to present across the generations.
- Challenge the stereotypes and encourage all genders to participate in activities that are something they are not ‘typically’ seen as being involved in.
Want to know if there are any IWD Events happening near you? Check out the website here!
Until next time,
Neneh J Bee 